An Italian boxer with visible Nazi tattoos was suspended this morning (AEST) by the Italian Boxing Federation.
Michele Broili, 28, caused a massive stir during his loss in an Italian super featherweight title fight against Hassan Nourdine in Trieste on Saturday.
Nourdine, who is of Moroccan descent, outclassed Broili but the focus turned to his rival’s tattoos following the win. Nourdine said he felt “disgust” when he “saw the tattoos on Broili’s body praising Nazism”.
He said he also noticed “Roman salutes” — considered a symbol of fascism — from members of the crowd.
While the tattoos were offensive, Nourdine said that Broili was always respectful before and after the fight.
The National Office for the Fight against Racial Discrimination (UNAR), attached to the office of the Prime Minister, said the fight should have been called off when the tattoos became visible.
“We ask that light be shed on the reasons why, faced with such serious conduct, it was not decided to immediately stop the match, and why it took so long to take action against such an apology for Nazism,” declared UNAR director Triantafillos Loukarelis, in a statement.
Italian sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport labelled the decision to allow the boxer into the ring as “unacceptable”.
The federation court suspended Broili at least until November 19 when the investigation is expected to conclude by the federal prosecutor.
“The court considers that the public showing of tattoos with unequivocal Nazi symbols and evocations during an official sports competition represents serious and unjustified behaviour for a licensee,” it said.
The court stated the tattoos oppose “the general principles of equality, of non-violence and non-discrimination at the base of the sports system”.
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